Major New Study Shows Why IVF Doesn't Always Work

A drug that stops a key molecule could be a breakthrough.

For couples who have trouble conceiving, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) can be a costly and complicated process–and one that isn't guaranteed to work. But a new study might have pinned down why the process only works about a quarter of the time.

In a new study, published in the Journal of Cell Science, researchers at the University of Manchester focused on one aspect of IVF that often fails–implanting a fertilized egg in the uterine wall. Most embryo losses occur during this stage.

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The scientists noticed that women who try and fail multiple times to implant an IVF embryo have molecular traits in common. These women tend to have altered levels of microRNA in their endometrium, the mucus membrane of the uterine wall where the embryo implants.

That microRNA molecule, the researchers found, inhibits a crucial protein called IGF1R from growing during the four-day window an embryo can stick to the uterus. Without that protein, IVF treatment is less likely to work.

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Though the science is still in its extremely early stages, the researchers say it could be a huge breakthrough in the still-murky world of fertility science. If a drug can be created to inhibit the microRNA molecule, embryos could implant more easily into the uterus, drastically reducing the failure rate of IVF treatments.

"Repeated IVF cycles are stressful and can be expensive too," lead researcher John Aplin said in a press release. "Greater understanding of the mechanisms which control success or failure can lead directly to treatments to make IVF cycles more efficient so that infertile couples can start their families."